New Isomorphic Fluorescent Nucleosides and Nucleotides as Biophysical Tools

Abstract

Nucleic acids experience a variety of perturbations while performing their essential everyday functions. These may include strand cleavage and ligation, local conformational changes, base damage, modification and flipping, as well as structural and environmental perturbations that are induced upon protein and low MW ligand binding. Isomorphic fluorescent nucleoside analogs, which can serve as faithful sorrugates and are sensitive to their local environment, are powerful probes for investigating nucleic acids structure, dynamics, recognition and damage. The lecture will present the design, synthesis and photophysical properties of new fluorescent isomorphic nucleoside analogs as well as their utilization for the fabrication of “real-time” fluorescence-based discovery and biophysical assays, focusing on RNA-related processes.